SAPELE—FOR the past 42 years, 79-year-old Madam Monica Oyomide Buwa, has devoted her life to the care of orphans and abandoned children at the Madam Davis Buwa Memorial Children Home, Sapele, Sapele Local Government Area in Delta State.

Like the Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta, what stands the Gold Coast (now Ghana)-trained nurse out is her benevolence and prospects Buwa orphanage gives to the hopeless contrary to the moneymaking focus of some other children’s home.

Born inside a canoe during a fishing expenditure in the River Forcados, Burutu local government area to a father from Emede in Isoko South local government and a mother from Kwale in Ndokwa West local government area, all in Delta State, Oyomide-Buwa, the proprietor of Madam Davis Buwa Memorial Children Home is one of a kind, having been adopted from her biological parents by the founder of the orphanage home, the Late Madam Oghale Orishetimeyi Buwa.

In a chat with Niger Delta Voice, she stated that having worked with the Late Madam Buwa, who passed on, February, 1983, her decision to run the orphanage was a call from God.

She said: “As a trained nurse with the Ghana (Gold Coast), my late foster mother before her demise, 31years ago, handed me over to the government as the proprietor of the home.

“This was after she willed all her financial and landed properties to me to enable me run the home, but after her death, I gave everything back to her family, except the building currently playing host to the orphanage home.”

Personal life

“My choice of running the home was not borne out of the fact that I am barren, I have eight biological children of mine, who are all grown-ups and are in different parts of the country, but my joy in life is that, anywhere I go today in the world, I can hold my head up high owing to the fact that I have made girls to be mothers and given orphans – parents.

“My children are very happy with me and they do come to visit me often, maybe someday, God willing, one of them might take after me when the time comes.”

Financial constraints

“The government through the Sapele local government was doing their best in assisting us with a monthly subvention of N100,000, but it is not forthcoming now.

“I wrote a letter to the council on why we no longer get the monthly subventions and the transition committee people there then said there was no money for us. I am an old woman just taking care of children, they are in the government with mobile policemen surrounding them and I cannot fight them.

“That aside, we get donations from well- meaning Nigerians in cash and kind and with this, the children are doing well even in their academics. They attend the best schools in Sapele, including private schools. Personally, I am proud of them and they are proud of me.

“What we are doing here is freewill to society but it would be encouraging and rewarding if the government can do the rightful to make things easier for us so that we can put smiles on the face of the children,” she stated.

Loss of staff

Speaking on other challenges, Madam Buwa said five of the seven workers of the orphanage have thrown in the towel following her inability to pay their monthly stipend of N10, 000 each.

“I was made to understand that my consistent thoughts on this and many more contributed in the stroke I am currently battling with.

“Even the road leading to the orphanage home is in a very bad shape with water flowing into the apartment when it rains. Despite all attempts to draw the attention of the government to do something about it, our plea has constantly fallen on deaf ears,” she lamented.

Madam Buwa, however said, “But so far, our consolation is on the fact that if the birds can have their meals without anyone assisting them, God,  who is the creator of all humans, would bring a smile on my face and that of the children when we meet him on the last day.”

Attempts to speak with authorities of the council on the monthly subventions for the orphanage home proved abortive.